Serlin's, a longtime East Side institution on Payne Avenue, celebrated its last day, Dec. 14, 2013, with new owners Charles Cook, left, and Eddie Wu, second from right. With them are, from left, Serlin's owners Gary Halvorsen and Al Halvorsen and Wu's wife, baker Eve Wu. (Pioneer Press: Scott Takushi)

The Cook St. Paul menu is short, but the owners are making almost everything from scratch -- including bread, pies, potato chips and even hot sauce. (Pioneer Press: Jess Fleming)

Owners Eddie Wu and Charles Cook gave us a sneak peek this week, and the tiny space is looking good.

The wood-paneled walls have been given a fresh coat of paint, and there are funky new light fixtures. And in what might be the most exciting development, a first-floor bathroom has been added.

There are only 52 seats, but the chunky wood booths have been removed, so the space looks a lot bigger.

Breakfast and lunch will be served starting April 17. The pair will add dinner service after their beer and wine license is approved, possibly as early as this summer.

The menu is short, but the guys are making almost everything from scratch — including bread, pies, potato chips and even hot sauce.

There are a few Korean items, including Korean pancakes and a take on a rice bowl, but they’ll be serving mostly standard breakfast and lunch fare.

Natives of southwest Minnesota will be happy to know they’re serving a beef commercial — an open-faced beef sandwich served with mashed potatoes and smothered with gravy. Wu said he was fascinated by the history of the sandwich’s name, which might have come from it being served to traveling salesmen or from the cut of beef traditionally used to make it, depending who you ask.

Ingredients are locally sourced and include Hope Creamery dairy products, True Stone coffee and Tea Source tea. In addition, Cook St. Paul will be the first local restaurant to include Minneapolis-made Sweet Science Ice Cream on its menu.

Wu’s wife, Eve Wu, will operate her custom cake business, Keikeu, out of the sizable prep kitchen at the back of the restaurant. She’ll make bundt cakes and pastries for the restaurant.

Charles Cook and Eddie Wu worked together as dishwashers in South St. Paul when they were 14, and they have been friends ever since.

Cook worked at many Twin Cities restaurants over the years, including the Bayview Event Center on Lake Minnetonka and, most recently, as chief operating officer for Cossetta.

Wu served in the Marines after high school but immediately returned to the service industry. He worked in catering and as a manager for a few restaurants in Denver before landing back in St. Paul and apprenticing at Sole Cafe, where he learned Korean cooking.

Jess Fleming has been with the Pioneer Press since 1999, and has been covering the Eat beat since 2012. She is an adventurous eater, cook and gardener, but will only grow something she can eat. She is a graduate of the journalism school at the University of Minnesota and a native of Eastern Wisconsin, where she grew up eating good brats, good cheese and fresh vegetables from her dad’s garden.

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